What's the best way to speed up mast raising / rigging

[RobertB]

I try to eliminate all tools and extra stuff.
I do have a light assembly I strap to the end of the mast when trailering though so the most aft part of the trailered boat has lights.
My standard rigging procedure:
1. Ground work: Remove side straps to trailer, disconnect mast trailering light, remove quick pins locking rudders, disconnect extra strap to bow eye, raise motor and release lowering stop, and hook the motor up to steering. Toss straps into truck bed.
2. Untie furled sail from mast. I lash this on top of the mast with the genoa sheets - one towards the stern and one towards the bow. This also frees up the 5 foot piece of 2 inch PVC pipe I use to support the furler in front of the boat (and toss into the truck bed) and releases the mast raiser lashed with the same line. Remove light from end of mast and place in the truck also. Toss genoa sheets over the starboard side.
3. Release the strap holding the mast in place over the companionway (between the two stantion bases) and release the roller furler and the main halyard line cam cleats
4. Move the mast aft and pin in place. Raise the mast a foot or two and connect the spreaders that were held in place with a pair of ball bungees. This is the one step that requires two people since all the stuff on the mast hangs up on the mast support.
5. Raise the mast, pin the Johnson lever at the base of the forestay.
6. Remove the mast raiser and pass down thru the forehatch. Do the same with the foresail cover.
7. Unstrap the mainsail and boom from the cabin ceiling, loosen the mast gate thumbscrews, insert the sail slugs into the mast, and pin in place on the gooseneck. Remove the mainsail cover and install the lazyjacks. Connect the mainsail halyard to the sail.
8. Connect mast lights, turn on breakers, and remove cover and turn on chart plotter.
9. Hang fenders from cleats on stantions and hook up three dock lines (either side of the stern and the bow) - the bow line is kept hooked up and stored in the anchor locker
10. Rig genoa sheets to the quick cleats either side of the cockpit

[Catigale]

Threads on rigging speed can get ugly, usually because the Guinness book hasn't released the definition of 'fully rigged' yet. When we cross to the Cape and head out, everything is ready for ocean. This takes 2 hours to prep.

[Rumdirty]

I've decided it was easier to leave the boat in the water. All that rigging stuff can be cut down to twice a year.

[BOAT]

I do it all by myself. All my wife does is grab stuff as I throw it over the side. (Velcro straps, bungees, etc . .) I only have one tool on me the whole time: a small Phillips screwdriver to open and close the mast gate, that's it. I show up at the ramp parking lot with a boat that is fully tied down on it's trailer ready for a 5 or 500 mile road trip. The boom is stowed inside and everything is tied down tightly. From that configuration I need 45 minutes to have all the sails attached and ready to launch. Note* I do not leave the MRS on the boat, and I do not rush. I have all sails on and all lines run before I launch. It's ready to sail when i back it down the ramp.

Since I rig alone I use some gadgets:
I have a glide/slide that holds the furler up off the deck and glides it down to the anchor plate as I raise the mast.
I do have a PVC removable mast crutch at the step base to support the mast when trailering (thanks to fisheadbarandgrill) so I can set the mast down at any time when rolling it back and forth to clear any snags.

Some tricks:
I store the mainsail nicely flaked on the boom in a long boom sail cover bag. On the water when I lower the main I just tie it up loosely around the boom and bag it all up with that big cover, (it goes over the whole boom and sail), and then stuff that whole thing down the companionway when de-rigging. Later at home I take the boom bagged up like that into the dining room and re flake it nicely, BUT! even if you don't want to flake the sail nicely just leave it attached to the boom all bagged up messy like you did on the water and just take it out the next time as it is. It works just as well either way; messy or nice.

When your ready to attach the boom (remember, it's got the main already on it and a cover, so it's heavier than just a boom) and it's stored in the boat. Just put the whole thing on the galley and with the slide hatch all the way open you can attach your TOPPING LIFT onto the end of the boom while it's still on the galley. With the end of the boom clipped on to the TOPPING LIFT the boom is very light now cuz your only lifting one end! Just lift your end of the boom onto the top of the slide hatch. No need to wrestle with a heavy boom all alone - let the topping lift do half the work.

Another thing I have done is cut the stanchions 4 inches from the bottom, put a smaller aluminum sleeve inside. I release the pelican hooks and slide the entire stanchion right off - I do this to both sides. The spreaders have nothing to run into because the stanchions are down on the ground in the parking lot hanging by their wires! When I want them back I just pull them up by the wire and slide them on, put on the pelican hooks and everything is tight and ready. You can't even tell the stanchions are cut when they are in place. (I can tell you how to cut them so it's very neat if you want).

IMHO:
In my opinion a bolted main is faster to rig than one with slugs - I have gone both ways now.
A furled headsail is FASTER to rig than a bagged headsail. IF YOU USE A SLIDER/GLIDER. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time wrestling with the furler and scratching up the deck.

I am not done making improvements to rigging - I think the next deal would be a roller furling boom that rotates at the goosneck and uses a bolt rope main. I just can't engineer how to do it yet (already failed once trying).

[Highlander]

Oh Boy what a bunch of whiner,s

Mm , 4 furlers , full enclosure, backstay on a traveller , 4ft bowsprit , 4 sets of sheet lines , multiple electronic,s , tv antenna , U gotta be kiddin me ! whats the issue here !! u r going sailing here right ! like to see u guy,s launch my clipper rig LOL

U want fast buy a canoe lol

Gez guy,s It,s all part of the enjoyment of the set-up , checking things over , setting things up right , getting things done correctly , noticing things that need attention or maintenance now or in the near future , one reason to be more attentive when de-masting

How many of u guys actually take the time to raise ur mast before a planned trip & check ur rigging & more

I know time does not always allow for that situation so more reason to take ur time when setting up to launch

So take ur time & be safe for urself , crew & family

U can always go buy a 400hp cigar boat

J

[BOAT]

I don't want to take a lot of time rigging. I don't like it. That's what blew me off sailing years ago.

The MAC is a great improvement - that's why I went back to sailing - because the boat is easy and fast to rig and I can get to any place i want in a hurry if I want to. The whole point of the MAC - the whole concept, the REASON we make so many compromises to sail a MAC is because of the IDEA! A MAC is not just a boat, IT'S AN IDEA. The idea was to have a SAILBOAT that was easy to rig, could trailer anywhere, and was really fast on the water with a motor when you needed it. It's NOT JUST a SAILBOAT. The whole IDEA of a MAC is much more.

If I was into a pure sailing concept I would not even be on a MAC.

I don't think the whole concept of the MAC was a purist sailing boat - it's something different. I love the old ways and we like to get on the 50 foot schooner over here and go on a sail with a full crew and all the great teak and winches and lines and three guys on a halyard and all that, blow me down and all that stuff is great, but that's NOT the MAC M boat. It's a different concept.

[Highlander]

Oh buy the way for u speedy rigger,s , this guy & his crew with his 900hp 40FT cigar boat turned up @ the lauch ramp same time as me , so while I was rigging my boat he was launching his & buy the time I launched my boat & was ready to depart also & asked me how to get to the Port Credit Marina so I gave him that info an arrived ahead of him @ the harbour entrance
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... G_0909.jpg

Here,s he,s backin into the slip besides me , I,m already docked behind him !

here he is arriving @ his slip beside me I,m already docked
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... G_0908.jpg

see 900hp against 75hp but he could not dare go where a dare travel

J

[Tempus]

I must say I've got some satisfaction out of reading this thread. The time it takes between rolling up to the ramp and dunking the boat has always been a topic of discussion between the Admiral and me. Until recently, she'd get quite anxious that we were 'taking too long and getting in the way of people'. I kept telling her to go for a walk and come back in an hour, but she wanted to help to make it faster. It's satisfying to read that other people are experiencing similar launch times.

We started out taking >2hrs to rig and launch our . Two weeks ago we took about 45mins. Yes, that doesn't count boom/mainsail, dodger, genoa sheets,etc... but our goal is to get on the water...everything after that is me enjoying the rigging process and boat in general.

Fitting the forestay/furler pin was the greatest time consumer and frustration maximiser, but we have that down to a fine art now that I can do singled-handed if necessary. I expect to save a tad more time by replacing the mast mounting and MRS bolts with pins.

So for us, the rigging/launching step that takes the most time is undoing all the ties that hold the furled genoa to the mast, the mast to boat, and the side stays all together.

I'm happy with 45 mins. Works for us!

[jasonsjwou]

Thank you for all who posted a reply here.
I understand that everyone has different needs and wants.

For me, if it takes 45 mins to launch and 45 mins to retrieve every time I go out for sailing, Mac is not for my family.
Especially at the end of the day, we are exhausted and we just wanna go home quickly. But I have to spend 45 mins to prepare the boat for trailering.
My wife was pretty upset

I guess my realistic solution could be:

- Slip the boat during summer (Too expensive, probably not good for the boat, etc)
- Find a marina where I can dry-sail (All rigged up ready to go, but boat stays on trailer - nice compromise but limited number of marinas available)
- Leave the sailing gear at home for now. This is just to get my family excited about boating. (This may be a temporary solution for now)
- Sell my Mac and buy a Sea Ray.


Erik Hardtle,

What do you have on the mast so that you can move the top end of the roller furling? I saw the video - you seem to just "slide" the jib up/down. How do you do this?

[yukonbob]

I must say I've got some satisfaction out of reading this thread. The time it takes between rolling up to the ramp and dunking the boat has always been a topic of discussion between the Admiral and me. Until recently, she'd get quite anxious that we were 'taking too long and getting in the way of people'. I kept telling her to go for a walk and come back in an hour, but she wanted to help to make it faster. It's satisfying to read that other people are experiencing similar launch times.

We started out taking >2hrs to rig and launch our . Two weeks ago we took about 45mins. Yes, that doesn't count boom/mainsail, dodger, genoa sheets,etc... but our goal is to get on the water...everything after that is me enjoying the rigging process and boat in general.

Fitting the forestay/furler pin was the greatest time consumer and frustration maximiser, but we have that down to a fine art now that I can do singled-handed if necessary. I expect to save a tad more time by replacing the mast mounting and MRS bolts with pins.

So for us, the rigging/launching step that takes the most time is undoing all the ties that hold the furled genoa to the mast, the mast to boat, and the side stays all together.

I'm happy with 45 mins. Works for us!

You don't seriously rig on the ramp? If you do I'm quite surprised nobodies shot at you yet. I slip and used to rig in the parking lot then trailer to the ramp to launch, nobody waiting on me. Now for the 2-4 times a year I rig/de-rig(some years I put it in the lake for the last months of the season) I launch and rig on the water dockside and it's been way easier since we started doing that. Still about a 3-4 beer job to completely rig with dodger enclosure (most things up here are measured in beer:time, distance, weight etc.)

[Tempus]

No Yukonbob. Definitely not on the ramp...in the rigging area like everyone else. Poor descriptive wording on my part.

BTW. 3 beers = 1 hour?

[dlandersson]

Ditto

I've decided it was easier to leave the boat in the water. All that rigging stuff can be cut down to twice a year.

[dlandersson]

Give the guy a break, it takes time to fill up the 400 gallon gas tank on his boat.

Oh buy the way for u speedy rigger,s , this guy & his crew with his 900hp 40FT cigar boat turned up @ the lauch ramp same time as me , so while I was rigging my boat he was launching his & buy the time I launched my boat & was ready to depart also & asked me how to get to the Port Credit Marina so I gave him that info an arrived ahead of him @ the harbour entrance

[Highlander]

Give the guy a break, it takes time to fill up the 400 gallon gas tank on his boat.

Oh buy the way for u speedy rigger,s , this guy & his crew with his 900hp 40FT cigar boat turned up @ the lauch ramp same time as me , so while I was rigging my boat he was launching his & buy the time I launched my boat & was ready to depart also & asked me how to get to the Port Credit Marina so I gave him that info an arrived ahead of him @ the harbour entrance

No Laddie I just cut across The bay Bouy

J

I think he thought I was plumm carzy & he woulda been right which my can do @ wot with my Merc 75HP 4 Stroke

[Jimmyt]

Just got my gently used 2013M from a guy who stored it in a marina on the trailer fully rigged. Took us over an hour to get it ready for me to trailer it home - mainly because he never optimized his setup for doing it any faster. I keep it in my garage, and only have time for single day outings, so rigging speed is a big concern for me. I watched Erik's video about 20 times (thanks Erik!) and got a huge number of tips from him. Also, Murv Barry has some great tips regarding optimizing your tasks by location to avoid unnecessary movements.

I was in a hurry to get the boat in the water on our first outing and splashed it with the rigging in full trailer mode - set up while we were motoring out to good sailing water. Took about 45 minutes and several pinched bloody fingers and bruises to get it done - even with the tips I had gotten from Erik and Murv. Turns out, it's a lot easier to rig on land than in a rolling waterway (Duh). Took it down on the trailer in less time and with less injuries.

Next time out, rigged in the staging area without hurrying in about 30 minutes. I think I can beat this by having someone video the procedure and fine tuning. The thing to remember is Erik and Murv have done it enough to optimize their process. We can learn alot from them and can refine to suit our needs, and experience will shorten the time, also.

The beauty of these boats is, if 15 minutes of rig time is too long for your crew, just leave the sail rig at home and motor that day. I've done the motor boat thing all my life. Now, I just want to motor to good sailing water (and to keep the younger kids entertained). I prefer to sail.

I have roller genoa, roller main, and store the boom/main on the starboard deck on a rubber mat - ratchet strapped to the stanchions. I can't drop the mast with the boom attached like Erik, but I didn't want to move the boom/sail any farther from where it need to be than I had to. Boom-to-mast connection is via pin/ring. Going out for the day, I leave the mast raising rig attached and on deck. I permanently attached the raising stays to the mast (similar to the baby stay arrangement Erik has), and use a quick hook for the raising winch connection to the mast. All ball-bungee, no lashing ropes to secure genoa and rigging. I use a quick pin in the spreader pivot and simply un-pin it and rotate it flat - and bungee to the top life line. Haven't gotten the courage to shorten the spreader like Murv or do the snap collapse like Erik. Still noodling this over.

I put everything in the boat before it leaves the garage, and take it out when it is back in the garage (often the next day). Gas tanks are secured in the boat - probably couldn't lift them into the boat full anyway. Big take away from Erik and Murv is don't take anything further away from where it belongs than you have to.

I had never sailed on one before I took the test ride, but was hooked immediately. Really enjoy the boat and am looking forward to many years of good times. Rigging time, even at 30 minutes is not an issue for me personally - if I get to go sailing. I enjoy having the boat in my garage where it's safe and clean, and I can tinker with it. Hoping the crew will get more involved over time.

Understand the crew boredom/heat issues while rigging/de-rigging. Still working that one out. We launch near a restaurant. Next outing, I'm thinking about getting the crew to go order dinner while I take the rig down.